Eating Disorders Linked to Psychological Issues in Teens

According to a new study, eating disorders among American teenagers can be very closely associated with other serious psychological disorders – including risk of suicide.

As per the findings reported by the National Institute of Mental Health, eating disorders could be most strongly and closely associated with serious social impairment. Almost 89 percent of all of the individuals who participated in the study -- all 13 to 18 year olds -- reported some sort of issues involving social impairment.

Nearly 20 percent of those who reported, noted severe social impairment associated with their eating disorder problems.

Equally troubling was the discovery that while most adolescents received some sort of treatment for their issues, it wasn’t always specific to their needs. In fact, only a limited number of the people involved in the study actually received treatment for their specific type of condition.

The complete report and findings will appear in the online edition of Archives of General Psychiatry.